Strangers
by ShipperKid
Summary: My version on how Simmons got back to earth after being swallowed by the monolith. Jemma was struggling to live in the desolated place, then someone arrives, who she had never exected, and surprisingly helps her get back to earth...
1. Strange World

A/N: I wrote this story before I saw Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season3 episode2, so this is my version on how Simmons got back to Earth.

And I've posted the chapters all at once cuz I finished the whole story before I posted it to avoid what happened the last time I made a longer story(I wasn't able to finish it... and so I abandoned it.) And also because I finished the last chapter then the second chapter before the first one. The whole story was already in my mind but the first chapter was just hard to write, since I'm not quite good with writing stories.

The POV shifts from Jemma to Loki frequently so I hope, this is not so confusing...

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this.

Disclaimer: The mistakes are mine but not the rights to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers.

It was raining. How odd, she thought. A different place but it's somehow similar to her home world. There are rocks, mountains, water and even breathable air. Living creatures are different there though, some big wild beasts but some are gentle beings and there are also small creatures; sometimes she can't help but wonder if she could find an intelligent being but until now, she hasn't. At least not yet. The sky is also different. Daylight is not as bright as it was on Earth, quite dim or gloomy-like , she compared, and at night there were constellations she had never seen before and there are more than just one moon. She just assumes they are moons but some of them, she is not sure if they are other worlds.

She was sitting alone in a cave as her shelter and staring at the fire she made. It keeps her warm on this cold and rainy night. She was thankful she knows how to make a fire without a blow torch or a match. Science was always on her side to keep her alive, it is what always saves her life.

Her her shirt is torn and she's also tired of running all day, being chased by vicious creatures and also hunting small prey for her to feed on. She has to eat somehow, that's why she hunts and sometimes, if she's lucky, she's able to find non toxic fruits. She already finished dinner and her eyes were getting heavy but as soon as she closed her eyes, she heard foot steps.

She quickly grabs her makeshift spear, just wood sharpened at one end, stood up and pointed to where the footsteps came from. To her surprise, no one was there. Maybe it was a figment of her imagination, she thought.

"And who might you be?" An eerie voice came from behind her that startled her. Instictively, she turned around and raised her spear to protect herself; but whatever happened was so sudden, that she didn't realize how she was disarmed and the next thing she knows, she's already pinned against the wall of the cave.

"I ask you again, who are you?" Asked the man in a demanding tone.

She was staring at her attacker in the face. He looks familiar. She tries to remember then realizes who her attacker was.

The man before her has dark hair neatly slicked back, deep dark eyes and was wearing a golden Asgardian armor with a green cape. He's the same man, responsible for the battle of New York. She wasn't there but remembered the images and information about him in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. She is face to face with the person who killed her supervising agent, who was brought to life and now the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Her attacker is, no other than, Loki. Asgardian, Thor's brother, an evil man.

She assessed her situation to see if she can escape his grasp. They were just inches apart, her hands were held up above her head by his left hand and his right hand points a blade at her throat. Escape would be hard but possible, she just have to wait for the right timing. And so, she swallowed a lump in her throat and answers his question, "My name is Jemma Simmons."

"Hmmm.. That name doesn't seem to be relevant to me. Perhaps I should just kill you right now." He looks at her with a wicked smile creeping on his lips.

Jemma felt her heart beat was louder than her thoughts. Should've made the move earlier, she thought. She was terrified but she didn't show it, instead she chuckled.

Loki looked a bit confused, "You find humor in this? Not afraid, are you?" He said it like a statement rather than a question.

At that point she stopped, "It's just I've fought long and hard so I could survive this desolated place. Then you walked in here out of nowhere, and kill me just like that? Maybe I'm going mental instead of being afraid."

"Really now? Everyone is afraid of death." Loki presses the blade lightly against her neck making a small cut.

Jemma flinched due to the pain as a small amount of blood dripped from her skin, "No one is probably looking for me anymore, I was gone long enough. So killing me might just do us both a favor." She said truthfully.

"Your name sounds like you're from Midgard. You're human, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You're not like most humans who begs for their life when threatened. You remind me of some human wariors." Loki seemed amused. The human in front of him looks frail yet she reminds him of the humans in the so called Earth's mightiest heroes. The Avengers. Fearless, or so they would seem.

At that moment, they heard something enter the cave. When Loki turned his head to look, Jemma saw an opening and made her move. She hit Loki in his groin with her knees. He scowls with pain and lets go of her. Getting self defence and combat lessons at the academy seemed to pay off. She immediately made her escape from him and took her spear on the ground.

When she headed to the opening, she finally saw what had distracted Loki.

There was a large creature growling at her. It looks like a hybrid of a tiger and a hedge hog, and three times bigger than an adult bear. She has encountered one of these before, not too long ago. But everytime she was faced with such giant beasts, she always runs and hides. This time though, she has no where to run. So, she prepared herself to fight the beast for the first time. It launched on to her, she was thrown to the ground. Luckily, she hit it with her spear right in the chest area. But instead of getting weaker, she just made it more violent.

The beast was right on top of her and was about to slash her with its claws, when all of a sudden Loki walked up to the beast and slashed its claw using his dagger. It roared with pain,then jumped to attack Loki, but he was too fast. He ducked, grabbed the spear on its chest and used the beast's momentum and gravity to throw the beast onto the ground. The beast was lying on its back and before it can make a move, Loki pressed the spear deep into its heart and slashed its neck with his dagger. It's over, he thought.

"Look out!" Jemma yelled as the beast attacked Loki from behind by striking its sharp tail on to his head. Thanks to her warning, Loki managed to dodge and cut its tail. Now, it's over.

Jemma exhaled deeply. She looked at Loki with confusion as she stood up- did he just save her? She wanted to ask and thank him but Loki seemed to have read her expression, "Do not get the wrong idea. I did not save you, I merely eliminated the higher threat." He told her as he walks closer to where she is. "I still am going to kill you, unless you bow down and beg for your life. I am nice that way." He continued with a devilish smile. Just when she thought he might actually have a good side, he said those words.

"I will never bow down to you." She scoffed.

"You are a feisty little one." He stepped closer to her to intimidate her but it doesn't seem to work. She doesn't step back, she just looked him in the eyes and clenched her hands too hard that she felt her nails digging through her palm.

"It is such a shame to waste a pretty face." He teased. "I will not kill you just yet." He turned around and walked to a boulder near the wall so he can sit on it. "I am a little early for my meeting. It would not be so bad to have company while I wait. Then later, I will kill you." He finished.

Jemma's a little dubious about the situation but at least it gave her time to think. She realized Loki came here on purpose, if she figures out how he did it, she might find a way to get home. So she dicided to stick around for a while to ask him questions. She took the spear off the beast then went to the opposite side of the cave, away from Loki. He just sat there and followed her with his eyes. When she sat down, she faced him and took the courage to speak to him, "You haven't introduced yourself."

"I am surprised you have not made your escape yet. I thought humans already know who I am. I guess humans really are ignorant. Well, I am Loki, king of Asgard!" He proudly introduced himself.

"It's pouring outside, there might be more of that out there." She pointed at the dead creature, "And I know who you are." Jemma was clearly irritated to be called ignorant, "I just wanted to hear you say it yourself. Loki, brother of Thor but definitely not king. Aren't you supposed to be in a prison?"

"Choose your words wisely human, if you want to prolong your life." He warned her, does she really not fear him? He asked himself. "Yes, I was in prison, but only for a short time, and now I rule Asgard."

"How can that be? After everything you did, how can you possibly get the throne? What about Thor?" She was puzzled, surely Thor would have opposed or something.

"Thor was foolish to choose that woman, Jane Foster, over his kingdom. Since Thor does not want to rule Asgard, all that is left is the All Father, so I removed him from the picture, thus, I became king."

"You killed your own father? Were you always born evil?" Jemma felt her insides twist as she listens to Loki. She recalled what she had said to Fitz a long time ago, when Ward betrayed their team: some people were just born evil, and this man before her just proves that.

"He is not my real father! I did have to fight him, but I did not kill him. I am not that heartless. I just locked him in the farthest dungeon. And I would not call myself evil, I prefer wise." He looked at her with his deadly eyes.

"Didn't Lady Sif and Thor's other comrades tried to stop you?"

"Oh, I seemed to have forgotten to mention one little detail. Everyone thinks Loki is dead. I merely replaced Odin, so everyone thinks I am him."

Jemma almost forgot that Loki and some Asgardians posses abilities like sorcery. "So you disguise yourself as your father to rule Asgard? That isn't wise, that's cowardly!" As soon as the words escaped from her mouth, she regretted saying it bluntly because Loki stood up and pinned her against the wall again, wrapping his right hand on her neck, almost choking her. I should stop making him angry if I want to know how to get out of here, she thought.

"Do you really not value your life woman or you simply like to be pushed againts the wall?" He is infuriated by her, or if he was more honest, by her words. To him he is no coward, but why does her statement makes him mad? Is it because it makes sense? - he wondered.

"Are you mad because I called you a coward or because you think I'm right?" She should really keep her mouth shut, but somehow she just couldn't stop. "What kind of king hides from the shadow of someone else's? Only a coward does."

"I am not a coward!" Out of frustration, he tighten his grip on Jemma's neck.

He's choking her, she couldn't breathe. This is where it all ends, so much for wanting to know how to get home, wasn't even able to ask the question, she thought as she struggled to live a little longer. She held his hand and tried to pull it with every bit of her strength and she managed to say, "Then prove it!" She challenged him. Her eyes filled with fire bore onto his.

He let go of her. She slumped on the ground, coughing and breathing heavily. She thought she was done for.

"What?" Loki asked her, not because he didn't hear her clearly, but because he couldn't believe the girl would say that.

"I said, prove it." She answered with a hoarse voice since her throat still feels sore.

"I heard you the first time. I am asking, what do you mean by that?" Loki looked at her expectantly.

Jemma tried to comprehend what's happening. Does Loki agrees with her but just not admitting to himself? Is there some kind of vulnerability from this man? Even so, she doesn't have the luxury to find out, she only needs to survive this. She stood up trying to look confident and spoke, "If you're doing so well ruling Asgard, shouldn't your people know who's really leading them? Reveal yourself, let them know it was you all along."

"That is foolish! Had I revealed myself, everyone would rebel against me, then off to prison I go again."

"Gee, I wonder why?" She snickered, but then she rembered not aggravate him again but then added, "A great king cares for his people. A true king admits his faults and takes responsibility. Kings are humble leaders. Are you?" She challenged.

"Am I not the king?!" His jaw tightened and clenched his teeth.

"You are a fraud!" She fired back.

Offended, Loki struck her left cheek with his palm. She hissed with pain.

"You betrayed your kingdom. You betrayed your family. People only follow you because of your lie. Aren't you bothered that no one trusts you?" Jemma continued as she compose herself.

The question lingered in Loki's head and stared blankly at her with furrowed eyebrows. Trust. That was the word that hit him. "Only Figga-" he stopped himself, backed away from Jemma and continued, "Mother, still trusted me after everything. But now she's gone." Loki turned around as he remembered the day when he heard the news that Frigga died. It was one of the darkest moment of his life.

Jemma saw Loki's eyes softened. Is it sadness or remorse? She didn't expect he is capable of those. "Did you..." She wanted to ask him if he killed her, but she didn't finished because it seems she didn't have the heart to.

As if he read her mind, he said, "I did not kill her if that is what you were going ask. But I was not there to protect her when she needed help." He doesn't entirely blame himself for Frigga's death, he already avenged her; but it still doesn't take away the pain from him.

"I'm... sorry for your loss." Jemma sympathized for him. She doesn't know what came over her to say that to him, considering he was once the cause of many deaths on earth; but it just seems appropriate to so say it to someone who mourns. She now sees the pain in his eyes, masked by his arrogance. Had he always been like this? Hurt? If so, she can now understand how Ward became who he is now. Just like Ward, Loki is a victim of suffering.

Loki was surprised to hear what she had said. How can she show compassion for him after what he had done to her people, to her? It baffled him, humans can be strange sometimes. He hasn't met anyone like her. He turned to her and met her gaze, "You are the first one to ever say that to me." He wanted to say thank you as a response, but held it back anyway. Jemma just looked at him, not knowing what to say. Loki continued to speak as he turned to look at the fire Jemma made, "Sometimes I think, maybe I am to blame for her death, though it was not me who killed her."

"And why is that?" She sincerely asked.

"Had I not been jealous of Thor, I would have not commited all those dreadful acts, I would not be in prison and could possibly prevented mother's death." He finally voiced out his inner thoughts as he looked back to the events of the past.

"You can't blame yourself for everything." Jemma said trying to comfort him.

"I don't... Well, not entirely. The person that I mostly blame is now dead. Sometimes I just cannot help to think about what could I have done if I were beside her."

"Everybody dies eventually."

"But she did not deserve to die that way!" His voice raised and his eyes became watery.

"You can't do anything about it now, so why are you brooding over it! It's not like it's going to bring her back!" That might be the dumbest thing to say to someone who have killed plenty of people but Jemma thought he needs a wakeup call. "Instead of pretending to be king and moping around, why don't you honor her life by living the way she had wanted you to, live by her teachings, be an embodiment of her virtues." She finished with an exasperated breath.

Her words were like spears shot through his heart. What she said were right, he thought, that nothing in his power that he can do can bring Frigga back. The feeling of pain and rage are slowly welling up again, but when he heard the last sentence she said, it made him think. To honor how Frigga lived rather than to dwell on her tragic death? That's easier said than done, he thought. "Do you still think I can still be an embodiment of her virtue?" He asked in a low voice as he clenched his fists and never leaving his gaze from the fire.

Slowly turning to face Jemma, Loki raised his hands, opened his palms and looked at it. "After all the horrifying things I have done, do you think I still have hope for redemption?" He said it like it was the most outrageous thing he ever had heard.

"You just lost someone dear to you. Losing is a learning experience. It teaches humility." She quoted Yogi Berra.

Loki chuckled a little, "You find me humble?" He thought this woman has a poor judgement of character.

"I don't, really." She spoke the truth, then continued, "But I know that arrogance is just a facade to cover your pain. If you'll be more honest with yourself, maybe you'll eventually find humility. "

"And if I do, it would still not be enough for Father, Thor and everyone else to forgive me." He said as he walks closer to her.

"So you'd rather live in a lie? Does that throne really mean everything to you?"

"I never wanted the throne... I only wanted to be seen as Thor's equal. To prove my worth to father." He told her intensely.

"And where did that lead you?" She paused to think carefully of her next words because Loki is close enough and she doesn't even know if she can handle his next attack if he's provoked. "You are not Thor. And you don't have to be equals to prove your worth. Heck, you will never be his equal and he will never be your equal as well. He is great in some things in his own ways that you may or may not able to do, but you are great at other things that he will never be good at too. So that makes it fair. And if they don't see that, then they are not worthy to see your greatness." Now she's not sure if she's patronizing him to live a little longer or she's just giving a friendly advice to an enemy. Maybe a little bit of both, she thought.

As she speak, she observes Loki's reaction to her words. He seems to be paying attention; he seems to be taking it all in.

"Are you saying Asgard is not ready for me to be king?"

"I didn't say that."

"But that is what you imply."

"I am responsible for what I say but not what you understand." Jemma hopes that he would interpret her words in a good way though.

Her words somewhat made sense to Loki. All of it. He already knows he will never fit in Asgard, after all he has done. He loved Frigga and even Thor and Odin; but growing up, he had always felt out of place. And when he found out that he is not of Asgard, he couldn't accept it and just lashed out his anger to eveybody.

In the middle of his contemplation, it hit him. Odin once told him and Thor that both of them were born to be kings. He realized Asgard is not the only place he can belong, he also belongs to Jotunheim. After all, he is Laufey's son. Laufey's dead, so by birth right, he is the next heir to the throne. Though frost giants are the monsters he heard in stories when he was a child, who probably hates him and might kill him for killing their king, he is one of them by blood and he just might be able to lead them. Not to make war with other realms and Asgard but to live in peace. The sense of belonging will be a bonus if everything works out well.

"Tell me, what do great human leaders do when everything has fallen apart?" He asked her.

"Not all human leaders are great... But those who are, they become beacons of hope." She answered and added, "A wise man had said: Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." She quoted Dumbledore. She doesn't know where this conversation is going , she just tries to answer her best.

A beacon of hope? To light up the dark path and world of Jotunheim seems hard, Loki thought; but he always likes a challenge. "And how does one become a beacon of hope?" He asked just wanting to know what her thoughts would be. And she simply answered, "Be the change you want to see in the world." This time she quoted Ghandhi.

Much to her surprise, Loki smiled, not in a sinister way, but, if she's not delirious, in a nice way. Then he heard him say, "I guess humans did became wiser over the centuries."

Jemma is not sure of what had she said that made him comment like that, she just quoted a few famous people. But somehow she doesn't feel hostility from him. She no longer feels threatened.

A moment passed by and Loki turned around to walk towards the dark portion of the cave.

"Where are you going?" Jemma asked.

"Back to Asgard." He simply answered.

Jemma thought, this might be it; the ticket to go back home.

A/N: I also want to apologize if Loki and other Asgardians are out of character especially on how they speak... I'm not really good in making them speak like Shakespeare or old english or what ever...


	2. Moving Forward

The chance to return home has now presented to Jemma. It's a long shot, but it's better than nothing. She only has to convince Loki first to take her to Asgard and then transport her to Earth. It's now or never.

"I thought you're meeting someone here?" Jemma asked first remembering what he told her as to why he traveled there in the first place.

"It was supposed to be a negotiation with Taneleer Tivan, The Collector. I was planning on trading Odin for the Aether; but now, I have changed my mind. So, I am leaving now since he is not yet here." Loki explained.

Jemma had no idea what he was talking about. All she understood was that Loki was planning of trading his father for something to some collector, and she thought that was kind of disturbing but she didn't pry on it anymore because he said he has changed his mind. Jemma just needs to know how leave this place, so she asked him, "And how are you going to go back to Asgard?"

"You have not explored this cave, have you? Because if you did, you would have known that there is a secret portal that connects this world to Asgard." He answered.

"Can I come with you?" She asked and in turn, Loki gave her a questioning look. "I was just wondering, if I could go to Asgard, maybe I could go home using the same way you, Thor and Lady Sif used to go to Earth." Jemma explained herself.

"Say, how did you manage to get here in this world?" Loki curiously asked.

"I was standing in front of a giant rock, then it swallowed me and brought me here." She didn't get into details but that pretty much sums it up.

"A rock?" Loki had this disbelieving look on his face.

"Yes. Well it was believed to be alien. Pretty much explains why it transported me here." She added a little info but hopes he wouldn't pry.

"And you expect me to help you?" He asked though he probably already knew what her answer would be.

"Well... Even if you won't, you said there's a secret portal in this cave, I'll just have to look for it and when I arrive on Asgard, I'll just find my way from there." She told him.

Well, Loki didn't expect that kind of answer. He thought she would just say yes and plead for him to help her. He was impressed that this frail human is not so fragile at all. She's quite intelligent, he thought. "Very well. If you insist on going to Asgard, might as well get you back to where you came from." He told her, then realized it sounded like he wants to help her. "I cannot risk you telling anyone one of my secret passages in Asgard." He added so it would sound like he's only doing himself a favor rather than actually helping her.

"Oh thank you."Jemma sighed in relief and happy to be one step closer to home. She still kept her guard though, because she still doesn't fully trust Loki yet.

"After you." Loki motioned towards the deep, dark portion of the cave. Jemma swallowed dryly. She never ventured deeper in the cave because she fears of what might be lurking inside that dark abyss, and staying near the exit will give her an advantage of escaping if something came from within that cave. She picked up her spear, and the longest firewood she had from her bonfire, so she can use it as a torch, then mustered all her courage to walk deeper into the cave. When she passed by Loki, he looked at what she's holding and raised his eyebrow. "It's dark in there." She referred to the torch, "For precaution. " she referred to the spear, then continued walking forward. Loki followed suit.

Jemma thought it was an endless tunnel because all she can see from afar is just darkness, until they hit a dead end. They've only walked for about ten minutes when they reached the dead end. Jemma eyed the cave's surroundings in search for the portal but she saw nothing.

Loki noticed what she was doing so, he said, "The passage is over there." He pointed at the left corner of the cave where there was a small opening.

"What? But it's smaller than my head. I think only my arm can fit in it." Jemma looked at the opening in disbelief.

"You think I am bluffing? Why don't you try it?" Loki suddenly pushed her into the opening.

Jemma didn't see that coming. Loki pushed her fast enough that she thought she was going to hit the wall hard, but to her surprise, she landed on the ground. She let go of the torch and spear when she crashed to the ground. She endured the pain only for a second then she got back up. She turned around and saw Loki was no longer there, but what surprised her more was that she was not inside the cave anymore. She looked up and saw a starry sky, and it seems like she's in a trench at the foot of a mountain. The path was narrow, like a only two people can fit walking side by side, but at least she can see the end of it.

"So, how is your travel from one realm to another?" Jemma's perusal was interrupted when Loki emerged behind her.

"Painful. Just like the first time." She petulantly said.

"You seemed a little doubtful, I just thought you needed a little push." Loki gave her a little mischievous smile.

"You just like to push people around." She bantered. Loki huffed in amusement, then walked towards the exit. "Follow me if you want to go back to Midgard. It is almost dawn, and we have to sneak back into the royal gates before sunrise so no one can see us."

Loki led Jemma to where he had hidden a vehicle. It's a strange looking craft, Jemma thought. Loki told her to hop on, so she did. And to her amazement, the vehicle hovered. "You might want to grab onto something, this thing is fast." He told her.

She did as what she was told, she didn't want to get propelled when the vehicle starts speeding off, so she sat down and held the edge of the craft tight. As Loki was maneuvering the vehicle, Jemma admired the scenery before her. Forget Tahiti, Asgard is a magical place, she thought. Jemma was more astonished when they arrived at the royal grounds of Asgard. It's like a fairytale come to life exprience, although instead of a charming prince, it was a wicked dark prince had found her - she frowned at the thought.

Soon when Loki parked the vehicle, Loki used his magic to disguise them as guards to enter the premise. As they reached the hallway nearing Odin's chamber, Loki changed them back to their original form since no guards were positioned in that area.

Out of curiosity, Jemma asked, "Can you change anyone's appearance to anyone or anything?"

"But of course!" He proudly answered, "Like this." He transformed Jemma into the Hulk and he changed into Thor. "Now, you look like a hideous monster. Haha..." he added.

Irritated, Jemma as the Hulk, puched Loki as Thor, in the face. He was caught off guard, that's why he wasn't able to evade the punch. Jemma may look like Hulk but still didn't have his strength, so, Loki wasn't sent tumbling away; it did hurt and he just stopped walking when Jemma's fist hit his face. He dispelled his magic instantly and said, "I forgot not to anger the green monster." He cringed at the memory of his fight with Hulk.

When they entered Odin's room, now occupied by Loki, Jemma wondered as to why they entered his room. Loki told her earlier, as they walked around the palace, that they will be using a machine called the Bifrost to send her home, and told her that it is located at Heimdall's observatory- she recalled. But why bring her here? Clearly this is not the observatory, so she asked him. "What are we doing here exactly?"

"To get this." Loki answered as he picked up a golden spear.

"A spear? Are we going to fight someone?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no. Well, hopefully, we don't. This is no ordinary spear, for this is Gungnir. It can open and close the Bifrost." He explained. "And while I visit Odin and Thor to bid my last farewell, why don't you clean yourself up. You look like you haven't bathed in centuries and your clothes are torn. You can use some clothes in here and the bathroom is over there." He added and pointed a huge cabinet and then the bathroom.

Jemma took little notice on his comment about her hygiene, she focused more on what he said about his father and Thor. "You're bidding farewell? Why?"

"I will never be fit for Asgard because I am not Asgardian. I am in fact a Jotun. So, I will leave Asgard and go back to my roots and live a diffent life." He simply replied then added, "A different life isn't always the worst one, right?"

"Yeah." Jemma smiled in agreement to what he said. After that, Loki left the room, so Jemma took an Asgardian dress and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Loki conjured himself a body double to go to the farthest dungeon in the palace as he himself went to Thor's room. After entering, he stood on Thor's bedside and watched his brother sleep. He remembered the times when they were very young, he used to be afraid of lightning and thunder, and sometimes Thor would let him sleep beside him. Loki closed his eyes to concentrate to his magic when his body double reached the dungeon.

Odin was awaken by footsteps and stood to see who was there. "It is rare of you to visit in the dead of night."

"Actually it is already dawn. Well, you would not know, since not a spec of light from the outside penetrates these walls." Loki told him off then continues, "I came to bid farewell."

"Farewell?"

"Yes. I will leave Asgard now and never to come back, so you do not have to worry."

"Are you running away from your crimes, from everything? I thought you were having the time of your life. Is ruling Asgard not what you had always wanted?"

"I am not running away. I am simply moving forward. And not really, no." Loki paused then continued, "I know I am burdened with glorious purpose, but that purpose is yet to be known to me... Someone has made me realize what a true king is. And I have yet to be worthy to be truly called king."

Odin was silent, clearly not expecting those words from Loki himself. While he is silent, Loki unlocked his cell and said, "Farewell, Father." Then he vanished into thin air.

Thor shifted from his bed and felt a presence in his room. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what, or who he saw. A familiar tall figure, a person he knew well. "Loki, is that really you?" He asked, emotions welling up on him. He thought his brother died, but now in front of him. Thor grew confused.

"Yes, brother. How have you been?"

Thor tried to get up of his bed but somehow can't. "I saw you..." he wanted to say, died in front of my eyes, but he didn't, "How are you? I cannot get up, is this your doing?" He wanted to ask more questions but his mind was just whirling.

"I cannot stay long, I am here to say farewell. I have caused you a lot of turmoil Thor, and for that I am leaving. Farewell my brother." Loki said before disappearing.

"Brother, wait!" Thor tried to reach for him but what happened was, he woke up. It was a dream? He questioned himself. He looked around his room and saw no signs of Loki or anyone in his room.

Loki went back to get Jemma in his room. As he entered, he saw Jemma combing her hair in front of the mirror. Jemma noticed him come in, so she turned around to face him. "Are we ready to go?" She asked. She didn't get a response from him, and noticed he was looking at her from head to toe. "You're staring." She pointed out.

"Hmm..? Oh... You actually look decent in Asgardian royal court garments." He said as he walked closer to her. Jemma was wearing a long sleeved, cream white, floor length dress with golden embroidered patterns. "I honestly did not think something would fit your small frame, considering the owner of that dress was bigger than you." He added while he was eyeing her.

"Whose dress is this?" She asked quivering in his intense gaze.

"It was mother's. Small dress, probably when she was younger. Apparently father has not burned all her belongings when they mourned." He answered.

"It's your mother's? I'm sorry, I'll go change..." Jemma felt guilty wearing Frigga's dress because everytime Loki mentions her, he looked hurt.

"No, you don't have to. Nothing else would fit you anyway, and besides, it suits you." He said smiling with eyes full of sincerity. Jemma blushed slightly. "We should go, we have little time left." He added.

Once again, they snuck in the hallways to get to the rainbow bridge. Heimdall was inside the observatory, so Loki had to use his magic to trick him. He conjured a Thor illusion to approach Heimdall as he and Jemma remained outside, invisible to anyone.

"Heimdall, the All Father needs to talk to you right now." The Thor illusion said to Heimdall.

"What is it about?" Heimdal asked.

"It is about the infinity stones."

Heimdal didn't ask more questions after hearing that, and both of them headed out of the observatory. That was when Loki and Jemma entered. Jemma was in complete awe looking at Heimdall's observatory. The intricate golden designs in the room, the constellations and other worlds that can be seen from there were truly magnificent and she couldn't believe she is witnessing it all. But then her perusal was interrupted when Loki called for her.

Heimdall and the Thor illusion suddenly stopped while on their way to Odin because Heimdall just saw another Thor in front of him.

"What sorcery is this?" Heimdall asked perplexed. Then, the illusion vanished.

"Heimdall, I think it is Loki's doing. Where were you heading?" Thor said. When he woke up after that dream, his mind was telling him that it might be more than just a dream. He went out of his room and when Loki said he is leaving, the first thing came to his mind was the Bifrost.

"Thor, you said, I mean the illusion said the All Father needed to talk to me, so we were headed there." Heimdall replied and added, "Loki? But, is he not dead..?"

Thor immediately ran towards the Bifrost and Heimdall followed, "I am not sure. I saw him in my dream."

"Stand over there." Loki pointed Jemma to stand where the transportation will occur.

"What about you?" Jemma asked.

"Midgard is not my destination. I will be going to another realm, so you will be travelling first since I will be opening and closing the Bifrost." He answered and then asked, "Where exactly on Midgard do you need to be transported to?" Loki felt his illusion faded, "Thor is on his way, we must hurry."

Just about when Jemma was going to answer Loki's question, someone was at the door.

"Loki!" Thor shouted.

Loki turned his head to where that voice came from and opened the Bifrost using Gungnir. "Oops! We don't have time." He told Jemma. Before Jemma was transported, she was able to grab and pull Loki towards her.

A sudden bright light descended to the earth and four people witnessed the phenomenon. Curious, they went to check what happened.

Meanwhile, Jemma's head was spinning due to the wormhole-like travel she just experienced and her back also hurt. She opened her eyes and slowly got her bearings to function, then it became clear to her that she had actually fallen to her back and Loki was on top of her. Why do her interstellar travels always involve falling to the ground?! She inwardly cursed.

Loki stared at her and asked, "Why did you do that?" Not noticing their current position.

"We've been made and so I can't just leave you there." She reasoned and feeling a little out of breath because Loki's weight is squeezing her lungs but still wasn't able to point out to him their position.

"Why do you care if they catch me or not?" He pressed on asking, their faces just inches apart.

"I.. I can't breathe properly. You're a bit heavy." She finally pointed out. When he realized, he stood up and helped her stand as well. When Jemma caught her breath, she told him, "I have absolutely no idea as to why I did that... I just thought I need to..."

A foolish thing to do, Loki thought; but he had to admit to himself, if she didn't pull him in, he would suffer Asgardian justice. "We should leave, Thor could arrive here any moment. And there are people coming this way." He pointed to Jemma the flashlights waving from a distance. Then it just donned to her that she is now on her own world. Both of them ran through some trees and bushes, away from the people. They saw those people were actually teenagers just exploring. Loki spotted a car from where they stood. He grabbed Jemma's hand and directed her to the vehicle he saw.

"Are you telling me to steal a car?" Jemma was appalled by Loki's suggestion.

"We do not know where we are. Thor might be after us and he can fly with Mjolnir. Do you plan on just walking? And look, it is not even locked." He reasoned.

"You have a point. But for the record, we are not stealing this, just borrowing. I'll return it once I get back home." She finally gave in. The car was unlocked because the window was open and the music was playing loudly; there were bags inside and the keys were there too. It looked like the teenagers were having their own little party. They were actually in a beach and it was night time. Jemma checked the time in the car and saw it's already ten. She lowered the volume of the music player and started the engine, then drove the car as fast as she can to avoid being caught.

Just as when the teenagers got back from their exploration, they saw one of their cars got stolen. "Hey! My car!" One of them yelled in panic.

While Jemma was driving, she noticed something subtle happened to the car. She's not sure what, so she asked Loki, "Did you do something to the car?"

"Yes, I changed the appearance of the vehicle so no one can follow." He replied. "By the way, can you perhaps now tell where we are? When I opened the Bifrost, I randomly picked a location and sent us I know not where." He added.

"Hmm.." Jemma searched the car for a GPS system and she did find one, "We... are currently in San Diego. A bit far from my destination." She said as she turned the GPS on. Then she realized Loki was not supposed to be here. "What about you? You said you were going to somewhere else, before I dragged you here."

"I have to find the secret portal that connects this realm to Asgard. I only know where to find the portal in Asgard but unfortunately I do not know where it leads to here on your realm, for I have not used that passage before." He said to her.

"Um... I think I have an idea where it is." Jemma told him.

"You know of it? How?" Loki turned to her in full attention.

Jemma hesitated for a bit but decided to tell him the truth anyway, "I guess now's the time to tell you, that I am a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." She paused for a moment to observe his reaction, and she saw him surprised with his mouth slightly open. She then turned her eyes back on the road and heard Loki said, "S.H.I.E.L.D? You mean like Barton and Romanoff? No wonder you weren't so afraid earlier but you're not as good as them in a fight."

"Well, we work for the same agency but we're different. Both of them are specialist, trained for combat, while I am a scientist." She explained.

"I see. So you're more like Dr. Selvig."

"In a way, yes; but my field is Biochemistry. And I was studying a Kree monolith then it sucked me in and transported me to the world where you found me."

"So you mean to say, if we can go to S.H.I.E.L.D, I can use the same way of travel you used and when I'm back there, I will use the secret portal to go back to Asgard?"

"I don't think we could take that option."

"What do you mean?"

"First, if we'll go to S.H.I.E.L.D. you would be treated as a threat, and me vouching for you is not good enough since you killed Coulson the last time you were here." Jemma couldn't even imagine what her team would do if they would see Loki.

"Was he really that important to S.H.I.E.L.D and your so called Avengers?"

"Oh, you have no idea.." She held back the information about Coulson being brought back to life, since not even the Avengers knew, so she moved to her next point, "Second, S.H.I.E.L.D's base is quite far from here. And third, I may have an idea as to where the secret portal is located and it's not far from here." Loki did not say a thing, he just looked at her signaling to continue, "A year ago, an Asgardian named Lorelei came here using one of your secret portals. We dealt with her, and Lady Sif took her back to Asgard. Anyway, her first sighting was in Death Valley, California. So, I'm guessing the portal is somewhere out there."

"Is that so? Alright then, the Valley of Death is my destination."

"Then it's decided, I'll drive you there, since we don't have any other options to get you there."

"How far is it from here?"

"The drive will take... oh, less than six hours." Simmons told him the information she got from the GPS.

The both of them were already tired from all the happenings of the day. They just hoped nothing would cause them more stress on their journey.


	3. Exile

Thor and Heimdall hurriedly tried to stop Loki but they were too late. The Bifrost opened and transported Loki and his accomplice to someplace else.

"Heimdall, can you tell where Loki went?" Thor asked as he observed the place where his brother stood, now gone. Thor felt betrayed, confused and relieved to see his brother alive again. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him but if Heimdall saw him too, it means one thing: Loki is truly alive!

"Yes." Heimdall responded. He looked at his observatory then added, "He is in Midgard." He looked at Thor with concern, because the last time Loki was in the human world, he wreaked havoc.

"Send me there immediately!" Thor was eager to know what Loki was planning and why did he said those things in his dream.

The two of them were interrupted when someone entered the room.

"Thor, my son." Odin called in an exhausted voice as he approached the two.

"Father? What happened?" Thor became more worried when he saw his father. Odin looked like he had been stranded in a deserted island for a long time. His clothing is full of dust like it hadn't been washed for months and, his hair and beard not properly groomed. He assisted Odin because it looks like he has trouble walking.

"Loki locked me up in the dungeon but he just let me out earlier. I'll explain everything later. But now, you must bring back Loki. I do not know what exactly happened, but he said someone made him realize what a true king is and he also said will never go back to Asgard ever again. I do noy know what he meant by that but I am not sure if it is a good thing either." Odin explained.

"Alright. I will bring him back, father. Are you sure you will be okay?"

"Do not worry I will take care of him." Heimdal assured Thor.

Heimdall opened the Bifrost using his sword and sent Thor to where Loki was transported.

The teenagers at the beach saw another beam of light and heard a thunderous noise; they immediately went to check it out again. They were surprised and also excited to see Thor.

"Did you see anyone came here before me?" Thor asked.

"We didn't see anyone but I think whoever you're looking for stole my dad's car." The boy, one of the teenagers,answered.

"I see. What does it look like?"

"Are you getting my dad's car back? It's a black volvo with license plate DE8 Y2A."

Thor nodded and took a mental note about the details then spun his hammer and took off in search for his brother.

"Dude, you should totally tweet that Thor's looking for you dad's car." Said another teenager.

Jemma was driving silently not because she's weirded out by the fact that she's with Loki, but because she still couldn't believe that she was able to come home. That only a few hours ago, she was desperately fighting for her life and now she's just miles away from her teammates, her friends, Fitz. She almost forgot about what Fitz said, more like asked, moments before she was taken. Fitz asked her to dinner, somewhere nice -he said. Does he still even remember? Jemma shrugged the thought. She should focus more on driving since her consciousness keeps drifting off. Her eyes are getting heavy.

"I know I'm the one who needs to get to the valley of death right away but, I think we need to get some rest. You said the time of travel will take at less than six hours, we can continue this in the morning; and using magic does wear me out." Loki has been watching Jemma while she was in deep thought and she never noticed him doing that. He also noticed she was getting tired; he couldn't blame her, after all he contributed to her exhaustion. "Plus I do not want to have a car accident because the driver fell asleep." He added. Jemma rolled her eyes at the last part but she agrees with him on this one.

"I think that would be best." She looked for a hotel within the area on the GPS of the car. "The nearest inn should be in less than a kilometer, we'll arrive there in a few minutes. Could you check the bags if there's any money on them?"

Loki hates being ordered but he followed anyway.

"...I have searched the area but I did not see a vehicle described by that boy. I thought perhaps Loki changed the appearance of the vehicle. That is why I came here, too see if you can help me with this." Thor explained the whole situation.

"Sure thing. It's Loki we're talking about and we can't just ignore this." Steve Rogers said.

"Steve's right. We can't let what happened before happen again." Natasha Romanoff supported the captain.

"Thank you. I do not want your people to suffer again." Thor agreed.

"Since you have the plate number of the car, it would be easy tracking it down." Romanoff informed them.

The sign read Crossroads Motel. Jemma brought the car at the parking lot. Loki took off the spell that changed the appearance of the car. They found money in the wallets in the bags and also two credit cards. Jemma thought they were lucky but she also felt guilty for all of it. First day back on Earth and she already commited all these crimes: car jacking, stealing money and probably identity theft if they'll use the credit card. So much for being a girl who likes following the rules; is Loki's wretched ways rubbing off on her? Probably not, she thought, he seemed different now.

They took all the three bags with them and went to the lobby of the motel to check in.

"Good evening! You're in luck, we still have one more room for you guys." The man in the front desk greeted them as they enter.

"Only one?" Jemma asked in the hopes that there might be another. It would be awkward if they share a room together.

"Yep. A lot of you guys came here to check in. So we're a full house." The man gestured at their clothing. Jemma almost forgot they're still in Asgardian clothes. "Man you guys have awesome costumes! I wanted to go to the Renaissance Fair too but I have a shift today and I was asked to do an overtime cuz Greg called in sick. I heard the cast of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were there?" The clerk continued.

"What are you mumb-" Loki was cut off by Jemma when she elbowed him on his side.

"Yes they were! It was fantastic. Does it have two beds?" Jemma played along so they won't be suspicious.

"The room has only one king sized bed and we're out of extra beds too." The clerk answered.

"Great! A bed fit for a king." Loki smiled at Jemma.

"Alright then just fill out this form and I'll give you the keys. And is that a real Brittish accent or you're still in character?" The clerk seemed to be overly eager, Jemma thought.

"Yes, we're brittish. And I think he's still in character." Jemma let out a nervous chuckle as she filled out the form and took the keys to the room. Loki raised a brow wanting to ask what was that all about, but he wasn't able to because Jemma grabbed his arm and pulled him to go to their room.

"Enjoy your stay!" The clerk yelled as they exit the lobby.

The motel is not a big establishment, it's a two-storey building with fifty rooms. The rooms are those kind where, the door to enter your room is not indoors, but outside, because there is no hallway connecting the lobby to the rooms. It is consisted of four buildings, the first one is the lobby with a restaurant, and the three other buildings are the rooms. Two of buildings are facing opposite each other and the other building is connecting the two together like in a U-shape. There's a pool in the middle, so you have to walk past the pool area before reaching the rooms. The parking lot is in front of the lobby area, away from the rooms. The motel's parking lot is gated and has security cameras, so it's secured.

Their key is labeled 50. It's the last room and is located at the second floor. No elevators, so they used the stairs. Jemma opened the door and they entered. The room has one bed at the center, a small desk with a lamp on top at the right side of the bed, a tv in front of the bed, a window beside the tv near the cabinet, the cabinet is on the right side of the room, a couch on the left side of the bed and the bathroom is at the left side of the room.

"One bed. So, we need to decide who will be sleeping on the bed and who will be on the floor." Jemma told Loki.

"What's to decide? I will sleep on the bed, naturally." Said Loki.

"I guess not all prince are gentlemanly. " Jemma muttered to herself in a low voice.

"Did you say something?"

"Oh nothing, I said: I guess I'll get to sleep on the floor then."

"Sleep on the floor? Are you serious? Do you not know how filthy that is? The bed is big enough for the both of us." Loki offered.

"But..." Jemma tried to interject. Filthy? She never had guessed Loki was the neat freak type.

"But what?"

"Strangers don't usually share a bed together."

"Ow... You wound me. Strangers? I thought we are already friends." Loki pouted and placed his hand on his chest to appear he's hurt. Jemma knows he's faking it, so she gave him a questioning look.

"Don't worry, I don't bite." Loki smiled like a chesire cat, teasing her. Jemma paused momentarily thinking about it. It's not like they were going to do something else aside from sleeping, she thought.

"Fine. I'll sleep on the bed. It's been a long time since I have seen one and I'm exhausted. So, why not?" Jemma said truthfully. She doesn't even care anymore whom she shares the bed with. "I'll go ahead and change my clothes. You can find something to wear in one of those bags, unless you sleep with your armor on." She told him before entering the bathroom to change her clothes.

After a few minutes, Jemma emerged from the bathroom wearing a pink cotton t-shirt and a pinkcotton shorts with hello kitty prints. Loki paused at what he's doing and stared at her.

"What?" Jemma blushed and felt embarrased a bit because never in her life had she worn something so short.

"You're wearing that? Are you not a bit cold?" Loki looked at her from top to bottom. There was something about her that he can't stop staring. It was not about her clothing, maybe it's just simply...her. He shrugged off these confusing thoughts of her because it felt strange to him.

"It's not like I have any choice. It's either this or skinny jeans; and it's not comfortable sleeping in a skinny jeans." She reasoned as she climbed on the bed. "Plus, the purpose of this blanked it to keep us warm." She continued as she slid beneath the blanket, not taking her eyes off Loki.

"You're staring." Loki pointed out what Jemma was doing.

"Wha- No... I... I just noticed that your body is well formed and symmetrical, that's all." She really did stare at Loki's body. He was only wearing a grey sweat pants and the white shirt he was supposed to wear is still in his hands. He was probably about to wear it before she came out of the bathroom, she thought.

"I am a trained warrior, of course, my body is well formed. Maybe not like Thor's; but his, seemed overly muscular." He said as he puts on the shirt. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you like admiring my body." He continued to tease her.

Jemma snorted and rolled her eyes. She thought he's being ridiculous, but... he's not wrong. "Think whatever you like. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight. " She's on the left side of the bed and she turned facing left and closed her eyes. She fell asleep almost immediately. She was tired afterall and it's been a long time since she had slept in a soft bed.

Loki switched off the lights and climbed on the bed. It wasn't totally dark, there was light coming from outside of the window. The light illuminated some parts of the room. Loki lied on the other side of the bed, face up and closed his eyes. He didn't fall asleep as fast as Jemma did, his thoughts just keeps on rushing through his mind.

What am I doing? Is this the right thing to do?-he's having second thoughts, maybe this was foolish. Asgard was already in my hands. Then Jemma's words echoed in his mind, you are a fraud! No... She's right, if I can't rule Asgard without posing as my father, then I'm not really the ruler. This path I chose perhaps will be hard, but I will try to do the right thing this time.

He felt Jemma moved on the bed, so he looked. She just turned facing him, still sound asleep. He turned to face her. She looks peaceful, he thought. A lock of hair was blocking her face, so he brushed it behind her ear. Even from the dim light, he noticed a small bruise forming on her cheek where he had hit her. He cupped her cheek with his right hand and brushed his thumb on the bruising area. "I am sorry." He whispered. It's the first time he had apologized.

What does Thor see in humans? What does he see in Jane? The questions just popped into his mind. He realized he's still caressing her cheek; he removed his hand, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Thor, Captain America and Blackwidow were on a quinjet. They've already tracked the location of the stolen car. When they arrived at the motel, they saw the car empty. They guessed Loki might still be inside, so they entered the lobby to interrogate the front desk clerk.

"Good morning! Woah.. The Avengers, what can I do for you?" The clerk greeted them.

"We're looking for someone, and he might be in here. Did someone came in here last night... dressed like him?" Steve inquired pointing to Thor.

"I'm not sure, I just came in for my shift. Hold on, let me ask Clark, he was here last night." The clerk said. "Hey Clark, can you come here for a bit? You'll never guess whose in here." He yelled through the door behind him.

"What is Greg?" Another man appeared from the door. "Whoa! Are they..?" He didn't even finished his sentence.

"In the flesh!" Greg answered.

"Hi. Is there anything I can help you with?" Clark asked.

"Last night, did this guy came here?" Romanoff showed a picture of Loki in her tablet. The picture was from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data before.

"Oh yeah... The British couple. Yep, they haven't checked out yet." Clark told them.

"Couple?" Steve asked not the clerk but Thor.

"I forgot... Loki escaped with a woman." He explained then asked, "What room are they in?"

"They're in- wait... You're not gonna fight here, are you? We're gonna get fired if you wreck the place, and there are a lot of people here." Clark was getting worried.

"Don't worry, we've only come to collect my brother." Thor assured him.

"Okay. They're on room 50. Second floor, center building."

"Thank you." Thor then went to find his brother after saying that.

Before Romanoff got out of the door, "We'll try to minimize the damage." she promised the two clerks.

"We're so gonna lose our jobs." Greg told Clark.

When Loki woke up, he saw the other side of the bed empty. He can hear the shower running, she's in the bathroom. He got out of the bed, knocked on the bathroom door and said "I am getting food downstairs, what would you like?"

"I'll come with you, I'll be right out." She said from the other side of the door.

Bang!

Somebody busted at the door. Captain America forcefully opened the door and unintentionally removing the door from its hinges.

"Well, I did say minimal damage." Romanoff muttered to herself.

"You better hurry up. We have company." Loki told Jemma without breaking eye contact with Thor.

"Loki." Thor walked in closer. Steve and Natasha followed, entering the room.

"Thor. And associates." Loki acknowledged them.

"Come back to Asgard with me."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I will force you."

At that moment Jemma emerged from the bathroom wearing a black jeans and a long sleeved denim button down, sleeves folded up to her elbows. "What do you mean co- Oh..." She became suddenly nervous. Their situation just gotten more complicated than she had anticipated.

"Who is she? Is she the one you told father about?" Thor asked.

"You told your father about me?" Jemma asked Loki too.

"Sort of... It wasn't really about you, I just merely said I met someone." Loki told Jemma. "And she is none of your concern." Loki told his brother.

"She helped you escape, she has to come too." Thor countered.

"If I were to come with you, would you all leave her alone?" He bargained. Thor and the others couldn't believe what they heard. Is Loki protecting her?

"What? If you do that you go straight into a cell." Jemma protested.

"You both will. We cannot let you pass. You have commited treason by escaping Loki." Thor said.

"Treason? She is not even of Asgard. She is human. I will only come with you peacefully, if you let her go. Please. She has done nothing wrong." Loki pleaded. Thor thought there was something different about Loki, he had never pleaded before but now he has, and for someone else's life.

"Human?" Thor and the other were surprised to know she was human. Her English accent sounded like how Asgardians talk, so they assumed she's Asgardian.

"You know, you kinda look familiar." Romanoff voiced out.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself." Jemma said and they paid attention to her. "My name is Jemma Simmons, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"You're from S.H.I.E.L.D.? But how did you end up at Asgard?" Steve asked, Thor and Romanoff was wondering that too.

"It's a long story. I'll explain later if, you don't mind." Jemma said. "Look, I know Loki had done things. Unforgivable things. But, if he regretted it, doesn't he deserve a second chance? Don't we all?" Jemma tried to convince them.

Romanoff thought Jemma has a point, after all, she herself was given another chance when Barton didn't eliminate her back then.

"I know." Thor said. "I've forgiven Loki a long time ago. I only need to convice father to do the same." Thor sincerely said as he looked Loki in the eyes.

Jemma was a little relieved hearing those words from him but worry is still evident from her face. "I promise we will leave her be, of you will come home with me." Thor said as he walked closer to Loki and held him by the shoulder.

"Alright. I'll go." Loki said to Thor. Jemma's eyes became watery but she didn't cry though, she just feels sad for Loki. "Do not worry. I am just taking responsibility for my actions." Loki said to Jemma. And with that Jemma smiled to him in response.

All five of them stood outside of the motel where the quinjet was parked. Steve and Natasha agreed to take Jemma back to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Before they left, they said their goodbyes.

"I guess this is where we part ways. It has been a pleasure meeting you. Farewell, Jemma and take care." Loki took Jemma's hand and kisses the back of her hand. Because of that, a blush crept to Jemmas cheeks.

"Yeah, I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for bringing me back here, Loki. Be well." Jemma said to him.

I should be the one thanking you, Loki thought.

They've only been together for a short time but it stings a little to see him go. Jemma then concluded, Fitz is right, nobody's born evil, well nobody's born good either because everything's a choice. It's also a choice to change who you were to become better.

Jemma went inside the quinjet together with the captain. Romanoff talked to Loki before getting inside.

"Tell me, what you did earlier, was that love, Loki?" She asked him.

Loki sensed a feeling of deja vu. He asked this question to her before, so he simply replied, "Love is for children, Agent Romanoff. I simply owe her a debt." A small curve tugged on his lips.

Romanoff snorted. Somehow she thinks it's more than just that. After that exchange, she went inside the quinjet. After the quinjet took off, Thor and Loki went back to Asgard.

Onboard the quinjet Jemma explained in excruciating detail on how she was transported to another world, met Loki, went to Asgard and how they were able to go back to Earth. When Jemma arrived back at the Playground, her friends were so glad to see her back again especially Fitz.

Meanwhile, in Asgard Thor was leading Loki to his cell, his hands weren't even tied up. Thor noticed Loki kept his head down, silent but didn't seem to look defeated. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Brother, tell me, do you fancy that woman?" Thor asked him when they reached Loki's cell.

"What? Why would you say that?" Loki replied avoiding to answer as he entered his cell. The force field activated, separating the both of them.

"I saw the way you look at her. It is how I look at Jane." Thor honestly said, hoping his brother would confide to him.

"I do not know what you are talking about." Loki said defensively.

"Come on brother, do you honestly tell me that she is not special to you?"

"I did not say that."

"So you admit she is special to you."

"I did not say that either."

Thor gave up and sighed. Before he left Loki on his own, he said one last thing, "Loki, if you cannot be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself."

"I do not attach myself to humans, their mortality will cause pain." Loki muttered to himself but Thor was actually able to hear that.

After leaving Loki, Thor went to Odin who was sitting on his throne. He explained to Thor how Loki locked him in the dungeon and their conversation before Loki set him free. Thor also told Odin what happened in Midguard.

"So father, what do you plan on Loki?" Thor asked.

"After everything he has done, he must be executed." Odin answered.

"But he has changed! And he did not harm Asgard when he was in charge."

"You're like Frigga, she believed that Loki's still a loving boy he once was."

"Because he is. He sacrificed his freedom for that human girl."

"Really now? If not execution, then what do you suggest?"

Odin went to visit Loki after his talk with Thor.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Loki greeted Odin with a questioning look.

"Thor asked me to lessen your punishment."

"Did he now?"

Odin thought he hasn't changed, still confident even held captive. "He asked me not to kill you. So here's my proposal, I will not have you executed if you tell me where to get that woman, what was her name, Jemma? And instead of you, she will be the one executed. " Odin offered.

"Does Thor know this?" Loki couldn't believe what he heard. He was almost angry as well.

"No, he does not. I am offering you this chance to live."

"I will face any punishment you bestow upon me." He stared at Odin straight into his eyes.

"Why? She's just human, and you could still live. " Odin was starting to believe Thor.

"To you maybe she is just human, but to me... she is more than that." Loki's voice became softer when he said the last part.

"You care for that woman? I guess Thor is right, you really have changed. Suit yourself, you will face the punishment I will place upon you. " Odin left after saying that.

The next day it was Loki's judgement day. Lady Sif escorted Loki out of his cell.

"Where are we going? Do we have a new room for execution?" Loki asked Sif. They were taking a different path from what he has expected. Sif didn't answer, she just looked ahead where they were about to go. Loki leveled his gaze with her and he became confused. Why are they heading to the Bifrost?

Odin, Thor and Heimdall were waiting for their arrival.

"What is the meaning of this?" Loki was in utter confusion. He certainly thought it was his judgement day.

"This is your punishment, brother." Thor told him.

"I... I don't follow... Father told me - " Loki was cut off by Odin. "This is the punishment I have decided. You will be exiled from Asgard."

"Then yesterday, what was all that?" Loki turned to his father.

"Heimdall, open the bifrost." Odin said.

Loki was already in the middle of the bifrost. "Was that a test?" He was able to ask but he didn't get to hear the answer because Heimdall already activated the Bifrost and transported him elsewhere.

Loki found himself surrounded by trees, bushes and a bright blue sky atop of him. He surveyed the surroundings and it seems the land is in the middle of a large body of water which seemed endless. There was sand separating the forest and the water. From where he stood, he saw a mountain with a huge crater at the center. No inhabitants except small animals. It's a deserted island, he deduced. He is not sure where is but he has a hunch on what realm he was transported to.

Fin.

A/N: Did that seemed like a cliff hanger? I just don't know how to end it with. Can you guess where was Loki sent?

Hope you liked it, because I had fun and struggled a bit writing this. Thanks for reading my little fantasy about these two. I don't know why, but I like shipping them.

P.S. I probably won't make a part two of this story to continue because I'm not good in writing romance and fluffy things. Ehehehe...


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